5 Ways to Boost Your Laundry Power

If your detergent cleans your clothes okay, leaves them smelling okay and gets stains out okay, stop settling for mediocre laundry. You don't have to go out and buy any special brand to make each cycle more powerful; just add a little something to your "okay" brand.

To boost the cleaning and deodorizing powers of your usual laundry detergent, add 1/2 cup borax to each load -- you can usually find borax in the laundry aisle of your local grocery store.

If you don't have time to run to the store, grab something that's probably already in your pantry: baking soda. Add 1/2 cup baking soda to top-loading machines or 1/4 cup for front-loading machines, along with the usual amount of detergent, to give the detergent a boost. The baking soda actually helps the detergent work better and acts as a deodorizer for some of those rougher-smelling clothes -- like a teenager's sports gear and socks.